Council considers raises

While there are no new faces on Midway council after the 2014 election

Village of Midway council will look at giving themselves a raise in the new year.

Midway Bylaw #435, is a bylaw providing for council member remuneration and expenses, contains a clause that requires council to annually review the remuneration they receive for serving the village. The review came up during administrator Penny Feist’s report on Monday night at the village’s regular meeting of council.

There has been no increase for three years. Currently the mayor receives $7,020 per year and a councillor $5,460.

Coun. Richard Dunsdon proposed that council adopt a 1.5 per cent increase in each of the next four years. He explained he would like to get away from the practice of having no increase for multiple years followed by a large jump.

Coun. Marguerite Rotvold said she had come to the meeting prepared to propose a five per cent increase. Coun. Gary Schierbeck said that he would not support an increase greater than what the village is willing to give its employees.

It was agreed that the issue would be referred to the first meeting in January.

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Monday night was also the inaugural meeting for Midway Village council after last month’s election. Everyone took the oath of office and various appointments were made.

Councillor Rotvold will continue to represent the village at the regional district and West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Board. Mayor Kappes is the alternate.

Policy number 155, which deals with municipal expenditures by staff, was amended to allow department heads to proceed with expenditures of an extraordinary nature, with necessary authorization. Council reviewed and clarified the policy that will now require a minimum of two bids on expenditures over $2,500 and authorize department heads to proceed with expenditures under $5,000. If the expenditures are greater than $5,000, council approval must be obtained.

The goal as outlined in the policy is to provide the municipality with proper procedures to be followed in municipal expenditures over $2,500. This policy does not refer to everyday operating expenditures such as utilities, salaries, fuel, etc. and amounts included in previous approved budget limits for capital expenditure projects.

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Council voted to take out a half page advertisement in the 2015 Kettle Valley Express for a cost of $1,700. The publishing company promised that if the village took the half-page ad they would include editorial on the other half, giving the village a full page and that advertising support from local businesses will fill another page, which will increase Midway’s exposure to two pages.

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Rotvold reported that the regional district has approved a budget of $10,000 for the wood stove exchange program for a six-month term. So if someone with an older wood stove upgrades, they might apply for a grant of $250. She also reported that the regional district board approved spending $25,000 on a feasibility study to support reducing their carbon footprint (such as reforestation programs). The regional district board also approved the Kettle River Management Plan and core funding or $105,840 for a three-year contract with coordinator Graham Watt to implement the plan.

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